"We do not believe it to be affiliated with any gang at this point in the investigation," Kajmowicz said.

Police are still searching for the individual who shot 21-year-old Derrick Jackson several times behind 510 E. Chandler Avenue about 2:40 p.m. Sunday.

Kajmowicz said that after arriving, police were unsuccessful in finding the suspect, who was described as a black male about 6-feet tall with a slender build, medium-length unkempt hair, a mustache, a black hooded sweatshirt and dirty jeans.

Witnesses said they saw a man matching that description behind the abandoned house arguing with a man they heard eventually plead for his life. They heard about seven gun shots total, they said.

Kajmowicz said police believe the victim was in the abandoned home, but she's not sure about the suspect.

Kajmowicz said police are continuing interviews and pursuing tips, but several people close to the investigation have been uncooperative.

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A 21-year-old Evansville man was shot several times and died behind a vacant home Sunday afternoon, and the suspect was still on the loose Sunday night, Evansville police officials said.

"We're still very early in the investigation," Hildebrandt said Sunday night. He said there's not enough information to confirm whether or not gang activity was involved.

Vanderburgh County Coroner Annie Groves wouldn't disclose the number of gunshot wounds or their location, only stating that Jackson was shot multiple times.

That information should come after his autopsy, she said.

Ronald Ritter, 38, lives nearby and he said he saw some of the incident by peeking into the alley.

He said he heard a few shots, ran back there and saw a black male dressed in black with an unkempt Afro standing over Jackson. He then heard Jackson plead for his life, he said.

"He then proceeded to shoot him four more times, smacked him in the head with the gun and then took off running," Ritter said.

Sandra Lawson, 58, was in her backyard and heard a dispute, but she didn't think anything of it, she said.

Then she said she heard about seven gunshots, four of which came after she heard a man saying, "Please don't kill me."

"We just had a vigil about this," said Stephen Brown, a jail minister, who was referring to a prayer and canvassing effort Saturday in response to recent South Side shootings and alleged gang activity.

"This could be a setback and defeat for some people, who may say, ‘Oh man, what's the use?'" Brown said, "but you can't look at it that way."

Hildebrandt said the neighborhood in which Jackson died has not been a problem area for police, and neighbors' statements seemed to concur.

"You'll have your arguments here and there," said Tim Jackson, who also lives in the 500 block of Bayard Park Drive, "but we never had any shootings."

When asked about the vacant house — which had overgrowth on its front sidewalk, a fallen porch awning and city violation notices — Hildebrandt said, "There was a reason they were there. Why? We haven't exactly figured that out at this point."

Information about the current owner of the building was not available Sunday night.

Responding to a question about victim or suspect activity in the vacant home, Hilldebrandt said: "I'm not going to release that yet either because that might be important later when we're talking to someone."